Guten Rutsch!

2014. It was a tough year for me. Failed a lot of subject, Postponed my Internship thus add one semester longer for my study. But gratefully it was a wonderful year too. I get to know 3 amazing Malaysian families.

2015. It is quite disappointing as I stuck on my bed having both fever and gastric. I can't shake the fever as I'm not sweating when this week on average of -5 degree Celsius. I'm afraid to eat to deter my gastric because I've been vomiting mostly after I ate. Although i can hear the loud noises of the fireworks and firecrackers, sadly I don't have the energy to sit at my cold living room watching the German celebrate 2015. With quite a suck beginning, I decided not to make 2015 sucks. I'm not going to make some half-bake new year's resolutions. I'm going to be realistic.

Have a healthy lifestyle

-  Constant exercises 30 minutes to 1 hour everyday

-  Control my eating style

-  Eventually lose weight. My goal at least 10kg

No more shy foreigner in lectures

-  Stand up and ask if I don't understand

-  Meet with lecturer more often

-  Talk more with other student for help

-  Eventually brush up my Deutsch

Study smart

-  Smaller portion, but more often

-  Practice with questions and Tutorium.

Brush up my cooking skill

-  Try to cook delicate meal at least every two weeks

-  Bake. For 2015, its going to be chocolate cake

Be brave, be confident

-  Increase my self-esteem.

-  Be comfortable with myself

Guten Rutsch!

Happy New Year 2015!

Top 5 Questions I Get in Every Self-Introduction.

Doing practical in German's Company with me being the only Malaysian at my department always start with a very curious Self-Introduction. So this are the top 5 common questions I always get every time I introduce myself.

1) Do you live in a Farm?
The question I always get in response for me telling the German that I have 7 Siblings. Having 3 kids is already considered a big family for a German family. I once heard someone does not believe when a woman told her that she have 4 children. Having a big family is a norm if the family live in a farm, You know to help with all the work - milking cow, feeding the sheep, stuffs like that.
My response - No I live in a big city. Capital of Malaysia. Definitely not a farm.

2) Can you drive?
This question usually pops up when we discuss about transportation for some event like the last Christmas Dinner. I don't know if the question is normal or considering that I wear hijab, I can't drive. Malaysia isn't Saudi Arabia peeps. We don't limit the freedom of Women.

3) Do you like Germany?
Honestly, it is 50/50. There are some thing that I don't like but the great discipline of people and the advanced public transportation made me forget what I don't like. Seriously everything is easy here. I can practice Islam without any open discrimination, Halal foods are everywhere thanks to the Turks and I like the fact that I don't need car to travel in Germany. I really love their public transport. Ultimately the good discipline of people here i.e punctuality make myself a better person too!

4) Do you miss Malaysia?
Heck, yes I am! I once saw a YouTube video saying Malaysian miss Malaysia because of food, the family come at the second place. Well it is quite true. I refuse to write anything food-related cause it will make me hungry again - not good in winter.

5) Can you eat meat?
The question is normal considering I wear hijab - a big statement that show I am a Muslim. I usually reply by saying pork is a big NO-NO, and I eat other meat only when there are slaughter according to Islamic way. My answer usually follow by how is the Islamic way of slaughter. Answering this question is tricky, because European are known for their support for no animal cruelty. My answer - Muslim believe that every life and soul belong to the One God Allah. It is common sense that we can just take something belong to someone else. So every time before we slaughter the animal, we said as simple as "In the name of Allah" as an act that we ask Allah's permission for the animal as our food.


Have you get any interesting question during self-introduction?