It is already six months in Germany

Hello, my name is Andrea, and it has been six months since I arrived in Germany, and it seems that I have been here for a few years, some things have literally changed overnight.

Before arriving in Germany we have to go back a little earlier to understand why I am here.

Since the beginning of 2019 I have been living in Latin America, specifically in Costa Rica and Peru. I have a great connection with this continent, because my family comes from this side of the world. Things were going well there, but on March 6, 2020, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra officially confirmed the first case of COVID in that country, from that moment my life took a radical turn, I stayed a few more months in Peru, but the things were getting worse and worse, so I decided to go back to Europe.

During that time I remembered my home Gran Canaria, an island located in the Atlantic Ocean, which belongs to the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands in Spain.

“Also known as the“ miniature continent ”, Gran Canaria stands out for its stark contrasts. In the same day we can enjoy wonderful beaches surrounded by dune fields and ascend to the peaks covered by Canarian pine forests, whose greenery stands out in the dark volcanic substrate ”Canary Islands (2021)

The main economic source of the Canarian archipelago is tourism, and one of the great markets are the German-speaking countries, so since I had nothing to do at that time, I decided to register on the EU page, a few weeks later,  I received an offer 15 days later I was already flying to Germany.

I started my project on March 15th in an organization located in southern Germany, in Baden Wurtemberg, very close to Lake Bodensee, the largest in Germany, being also part of Austria and Switzerland, the place is incredible. Seeing the Alps and the lake together transmits a lot of peace, the truth is that it is a place that you cannot miss visiting.

The organization with which I collaborated works with people with disabilities, providing care in a day center for those who cannot work, carrying out socio-educational and leisure and free time activities and another part in which people can work in different activities like sorting files, fixing computers, packing accessories, etc.

My first four months were a bit crazy, when I arrived and saw that Germany had a large number of covid cases especially among the young population, lack of vaccines and the cold that did not help to improve the situation (Diario as, 2021) the organization decided to send me to a home for people with disabilities, there I met 9 wonderful people who could not communicate with me, but were very curious to know who I am, we had the language barrier against us, but non-verbal language did its job and also some workers spoke English with me.

As soon as I arrived they offered to give me the vaccine a week later, the truth is that I had many fears, I read the news, watched social media and there was big confusion, but in the end I agreed to get it, not only for me, also for the people whom I love, and until today they have not received the vaccine and continue to suffer the consequences of Covid.

Those four months in that home were good, bad and strange, but in life nothing is perfect, I carry in my heart the beautiful connection I had with those nine people who were happy to see me every morning, I have to admit that this was the most difficult period, not only because of the language but also because of the culture shock, I was also sad that I did not finish my story in Latin America and the climate that did not help, the truth is that I do not like the cold.

Things started to improve in Germany and the organization asked me and two other colleagues to go to work in another building. I had high expectations, but it was more of the same, I felt a lot of passivity on the part of the workers and very little organization, too. Some decisions by the administration made me no longer give my 100% since today they are not valuing my work, and they are demanding almost the same as a worker, and I do not agree.

I really liked the group that had been assigned to me, but I felt that I had had enough and decided to request my change to the work part of the program, in order to see both sides of the coin and because I am here to learn, to know the country, its culture, etc.

I'll tell you about my last six months in the other part, at the moment it is going well, badly, great, it goes like life itself with ups and downs.

References:

AS.com - Diario online deportivo. Fútbol, motor y mucho más

Hola desde el mejor clima del mundo | Hola Islas Canarias

Noticias del Perú y el Mundo de último minuto | EL COMERCIO PERÚ