By Josephat Seleman Hema from Tanzania

Yes, Christmas. What is up with Christmas? I mean the 2019’s Christmas? This Christmas is simply special. Why? It was the very first Christmas I am far away from my motherland and my family. I felt so thrilled with everything that was around for Christmas. It is like I became part all I have ever been seeing in the media about how Christmas is being celebrated in Europe. The Christmas market started so earlier, the decorations, the cookies, the songs, the trees and the joy. It was always so amazing how people walked around the Christmas markets with maintained and raised spirits of Christmas for over a month.

I visited Christmas markets in Bochum, Essen, Cologne, Stuttgart and Dortmund cities and it was always enjoyable. People like to drink Glühwein. I drank Kinderpunch instead and it is so good to me.

I like the Tradition of counting Advent calendar days with chocolates, so Anika(A German volunteer and my office mate)and I had one in our office from Regina(our Colleague) and I also had one in my room from Rachel. I received some gifts and cards too for Christmas. I got a taste of new culture, beside all I have already mentioned, we had a Christmas cookies backing in the volunteers house with Frauke,Carolin and Dirk.Dika,Carol and I were present at the time and so it was for us a very nice moment. After preparing the cookies we had a Traditional German Christmas dinner, above all other delicious German foods, I ate goose meat for the first time.

Yes everything came with newness, even the cold Weather and tiny snowy particles outside.

This Christmas was really special to me.