Friday, May 15, 2009

Have You Ever

Have you ever been on a jet ski before?

Have you pick up your very own strawberries?

Have you ever run up an escalator before?

Have you ever go backpacking alone?

Have you ever slept in a train station?

Have you ever been on a roller coaster?

P/S: Just noticed that this fits the song "Have You Ever". Oh, maybe not.

There are so many things that we can do in life but sadly not everyone tried them at least once in their life. All those above, I’ve done them, except for one. I still haven’t run up an escalator, yet. I will do that before the year end, maybe? I have to say my chance to come here make me realize a lot of things. I began to see things from Western point of view, to the extent I no longer view beer as bad (provided you drink to your limit). I admire the Germans, a lot. They’re so friendly and gentlemen and I have so many experiences that at times make me feel ashamed that we do not have the same environment in Malaysia. Forgive me if you think Malaysians are good. Germans are better.

Holding door for the person behind you is normal here in Germany. If two person arrives at a door, where it’s only comfortable for a person to go through, one of them would be offering it to another person. I’m so ashamed that I began to pick this habit but sometimes it’s still someone offers me through first. I tried to pick it up by being the first to offer in the future. After all, why not learn something good?

You will not find my entry about Rothenburg ob der Tauber in this blog, simply because I went there last week and I still have 10 or 12 pending posts. However during my trip there, I met this old lady. For some unknown reason, I decided to go into a shop which doesn’t look attractive at all from outside. I was holding Schneeballchen (a specialty in Rothenburg, it’s a ball shaped cookie that’s coated with different flavor. If you ever get the chance to try, just get a mini one, the normal one is just too big) at that time.

Schneeballchen

Imagine me holding a ball shaped cookie on my left palm walking around the shop. It’s quite a hassle to do so but it doesn’t bother me much. But not for the old lady. While I was looking at an interesting “something” at the corner of the shop, she called me. She said come and at the same time, holding a plastic bag for me. She said “It’s sincere from me”. I was so touched at that moment and I said thanks to her. Then, I continued looking at the “something” and she told me the name and explained to me about it. It was then I decided to buy two instead of just one. Upon paying, for some reason known to the old lady, she say “Here, I give you this, free of charge”, showing me a map of Rothenburg. Then, she goes further, I drew this. I was so shocked but that’s not the only surprise. The map was so beautiful and it was first published in 1969. Yes, 40 years ago. She said it took her 3 years to finish it. Another surprise, the number of arch of the town hall in the map matches the original one. She told me so and just to make it sweeter, I went and count it after that. It was at that time I said, can I take a foto of you? She happily posed for me with her masterpiece. I said thank you again before leaving. Not just a thank you, but one with admiration, respect and full of sincerity. For she had proven again to me just how wonderful Germans are.

Anneliese Friese and her masterpiece
Viele Danke. Ich Respekt du.

It is here on this paragraph that I realized I wrote something else instead of what I actually wanted to write in the beginning. Apparently, I always write whatever that came to my mind.
The chance to live here actually taught me so many things. Life is not just about studying (I realized this long long ago). Go and do something else before you realize how much fun you missed all this years. And that’s the very reason why I decided to make full use of my time here, to try every single thing. It’s true sometimes I was curious of something and then with my tight budget, I will tell myself not to try it. In the end, I thought of something, why should I save the money when I can try it and then save the money later? I’ll never know if I have another chance to try it and I’ll never be able to bring the money with me upon death.

I admit that sometimes what I did is childish. There are a few people saying so and sometimes I noticed people looked at me with wonder. When it was snowing here during the winter, the path to my office are full of snow and what I did is, I played them all the way from the train station to my office. Along the way, there are people in the cars who waved and smile at me or perhaps laughs at me. I don’t care. I wanted to enjoy myself because I never had the chance to see snow in my entire life and I don’t want to be afraid of being called mad or anything and missed the chance to do it. If it’s not now, when? Joerg, my colleague even told his wife n children about what I did and guess what’s my reply to both his children? I said, what if, since you’re born, for 20 years, you never see snow? And one day, you woke up only to look out of the window seeing it snowing. The world is wonderful. In German, Die Welt is Wunderbar.

No, I don't know who do one. It's been there long time ago. Wheee

This, is my first Snowman. Oh how I miss Winter.


tienzyee

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