End of Year 2015 / Zum Ende des Jahres 2015

First of all, I would like to wish everyone reading this

Merry Christmas 2015 & Happy New Year 2016!

And in German (Deutsch):

Frohe Weihnachten u. einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr 2016!

So, just an update on my life at the moment:

1. My German level is B2.1. (intermediate)

2. Home is currently Düsseldorf. (since Sept)

3. Life is much better here than in Halle. (better food/more int'l/shopping haven/closer to France, Netherland and Belgium)

4. I am both a housewife and student at the moment.

5. Haven't hit the gym (or any intensive workout) since 4 months ago.

6. Naturally I have put on weight due to the sedentary lifestyle. Terrible!

7. I ride my bicycle to class Mondays to Fridays when it's not raining.

8. I cook most of the time. I prefer easy and quick rather than troublesome.

9. I play Badminton, watch movies and eat out once a while with friends from class.

10. Minimal shopping because we have to save money.

My wish list for 2016:

1. A job (mini or professional, at least something that pays €/$)

2. A driving licence!

3. Travel!!! (March: Singapore/Indonesia, May: Italy)

4. Go to a concert/musical

5. Photography course

6. Better cooking skills

7. Guitar at home

8. Lose weight!!! (by doing regular yoga/pilates at home or jogging/swimming regularly)

9. See my family again!

10. A best friend in Düssie!

I believe I'm making baby steps at the moment in adapting to my new life here. Taking into consideration that it is totally different life than Singapore/Australia. They speak different here. They have tons of rules to follow. They eat and drink different here. It's definitely a culture shock at the beginning. I still remember back in June in Halle... When Andreas was at work or on night duties, I was so afraid to go to the grocery store to buy phone credit or food and I would wait for him to come back to do that. I think it took me a month or so, in order to pluck up the courage to use my German to ask for a phone credit. That was not as easy as it seems. Now I don't have to buy phone credit every month as I am on phone plan. Thank God! And I can go grocery shopping on my own with my bike after class. But time to time, I need Andre to accompany me, especially to the administration offices. I am not as confident in speaking formally to officers. Whenever they asked, if I would like them to speak English or German, I would always choose the easier option English. :) I know I will get there. It just requires some time to get used to things. It's definitely a challenge for me surviving here without close family or friends. Everything is simply new. And it seems that the more I learn and use German, the less fluent and precise I become in English. Urgh. Hence I am writing this blog in English now. I'm satisfied with it but now and again I do type things weirdly without noticing. Like that time I wrote my family postcard for Christmas and it's filled with spelling corrections. Sorry fams! It's the thought that counts right? ;)

As to the question of when to have a baby, I am targetting 2017 but again, it depends on God's timing. I believe He will give it to us when we're ready. Before that, we are making ourselves right with God and prepare to be good parents for our future kids.

Oh, and also many of my close friends and family are married now. The year 2015 is filled with marriages. Valerie in August. Ce Fen2 in September. Sally in December. And many other girls too from POJ. Already marriages are planned for 2017 and invitations have been sent. Xue Li in May and Jia Ling maybe at the end of year. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it used to for me to attend weddings, when I'm at the other end of the world... That's the disadvantage of living so far away from your family & friends. Dislike.

But on the positive note, I guess there's lots of benefits too. I can get to explore a whole different world here. Their perspectives and reasonings. Their languages and cultures. It's definitely interesting and I wouldn't change the decision to move here if I can. I met people who came to Germany for education, work or holiday. The education here is freaking cheap! I think I can be a student the whole of my life if I want to. Hahs! Jkd. But seriously. The semester fee is only €300-500 in the public uni. And you get free transport ticket across the state when you are a student. How awesome is that! Travel benefits peeps! But yea, thinking of doing homework or studying for exams just gives me headaches. Also we are much closer now to the US/UK!

Til here for now. I will update laters when I can (or remember to). I can't wait to see fireworks for the New Year (they called it Silvester here)! :D

With warmest wishes from winter-cold Düssie,

R

New Life, New Dreams.

Wow, 3 years and 3 months have passed since I last blogged. And so much have changed!!! Most significantly are that I got married to a very loving man named Andreas on 18 January 2015 and am now living in Germany by his side as his sworn loving wife! I am officially his wife- Mrs Winarno!

5 months passed and I'm still not used to married life. There's so much responsibilities, factors and adjustments that are needed when two people live under one roof for the rest of your lives. For example, preparing breakfast for husband before work, doing the laundry more often that I used to do them, groceries for two people instead of one, budgeting expenses and savings, waiting for husband to take leave from work to go travel, family planning (conception and contraception) and learning a new foreign language "Deutsch". It's not easy but it is better than nothing. There is so much to learn and I am learning day by day as I go along. I used to have so many ideals in mind, but everyday reality wake me up from living in those shallow daydreams.

I am now learning Deutsch at a language centre every Tuesday and Thursday. I am free on other days. We attend the weekly cell group whenever possible. Andreas takes me out to for social gatherings with the Indos and around the city whenever he has no work or is not too tired from night duty. He works as an assistant doctor and usually works Monday to Friday. But every month, he will be assigned 4-6 night shifts and they can happen on weekends. It sucks and I feel especially lonely during his night shifts and I miss my family terribly. But what else could be done? He must go to work to earn a living for the both of us. So I must get used to it and find my own activities. Honestly, I don't have any close friend here yet since I don't hang out often with Andreas' friends. I should, but I'm somehow not that interested?!? Maybe because I know in September we'll be moving to a different city on opposide side of Germany and they are too Indo for me. I realise I can't click with people my age that speaks Bahasa Indonesia as their day-to-day language unless we share common interests. I am just not very comfortable and familiar with Indonesian slangs and jokes after living in Singapore and Australia for a long time since I was 7 years old. English has become my mother tongue, sort of. Even though, I believe that it is still not perfect and equivalent to a native English speaker. I am somehow caught in between English and Indonesia. Language can be problematic when you learn too many. When you are learning a new language, you may forget the others you know. The Germans here at East side of Germany speak mostly Deutsch and don't know English well. Hence, I find it hard to communicate with the people in public. I am fully comfortable only when I'm with Andreas!

I have got no work yet so I am 100% a housewife at the moment. Andreas thinks that it will be good for me to get a job and I agree. Or go to university here and learn new course which I'm not that keen of doing as I have already gone through 7 years of university and am honestly a bit sick of studying and attending lectures. I want to start earning money instead! However, my language proficiency has to improve, at least to B1/2 level to be competent in the workplace here in Germany. I am still at A2 level now and this is not intensive (everyday for hours) yet. I hope when we move to the other city then I will start learning intensively.

There are also so many places I want to go here in and around Germany, such as Prague and Italy. They are so beautiful and romantic! Hence I cen't wait to have driving license so I can share the driving load with Andreas when we travel. However, the language is an issue for its theory and practical exam here in Germany. Also the fact that Andreas is driving a manual car does not help in my confidence to drive yet. Hopefully we will get an automatic car! *fingers crossed*

It's 8pm now and the sky is still bright bright. That is how summer is like in Germany. So different to Singapore/Indonesia/Australia. And the weather fluctuates like crazy during summer. I always have to take a cardigan and sunnies with me everywhere we go. Also, things to watch out for during summer is "Zecken" aka ticks. They can be deadly. Otherwise, flies, spiders and weird-looking insects can be seen in our apartment when we open the windows for too long. No annoying ants and cockroaches, thank God!

Yesterday we returned from Munich. It was a 3 days and 2 nights. The city was beautiful. I will post photos soon and try blogging more routinely now that I am so so free.

Bis später und gute Nacht alle. ;)