I would like to honestly admit that I was not so much into the political seminar before we attended it form 4th – 8th November 2019. I was though, a bit tired on my way from Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest trip with my friend El Pacific, another South-North Volunteer from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I was just happy that we were going to meet other volunteers whom we usually meet during seminars, and of course we were also happy to be in other German cities, the cities Braunschweig and Hannover.

At 30 November 2019, we have been invited to join the future lab in Dortmund. The future lab was part of the Climate Action Day campaign to raise awareness of Climate change among young people. The Future Lap took part in the Union Gewerbehof in Dortmund, a creative common space in Dortmund. Once, it was the centre of beer brewerys, today many groups and initiatives have rented offices, cafes and gardens.

by Carol from India Isn’t this word ‘’Angklung’’ beautiful? Do you know what is Angklung? Angklung is an instrument used in Indonesia to play music. I went to Witten with my colleagues Carolin, Dirk, Frauke and Hannah to attend a music workshop conducted by Roynaldo Saragih at the Evangelische Popakademie.

Between 3rd to 6th October 2019 we had a four days tour to Berlin. It was part of the programs for the youth Department of the Evangelical Church of Dortmund. We were eleven people. Our trip aimed at exploring the historical Significance of the city of Berlin in the modern Germany. I don’t know if anyone else was as excited as I was. But days arrived and the train took us to Berlin, finally.

Attending political seminar funded by the government is one of the responsibilities of being a volunteer. If that happened in China, it would definitely become a kind of fostering in patriotism, which is for me a brainwashing national education. Therefore, I was expecting something different in Germany. Writing it out can also be a good conclusion to the seminar.

Seven more days and then I am off! Bye bye Europe, bye bye Deutschland, bye bye Dortmund. As happy and as excited I am to go back home, there are a million things that I would miss. From the morning silent S bahn rides to the noisy kitchen late nights with everyone. I would miss seeing Dortmund U every time I come back from another city. The black and yellow typical game chants and crowds on game nights at the metro, the ever so amazing street music while shopping, Döner tasches – extra spicy of course!

Getting out of my comfort zone, where I was spoon fed by Oma and by everyone in my family, in India till coming into a completely different country where I personally didn’t know anyone and where we have to do everything on our own was and is still difficult. But this is how we learn right? Back in India, I never had to worry about anything (cooking, cleaning, etc) but here in Dortmund I have to take care of myself. I never was on my own before and I never valued things which I got in hand but now I have started realizing the value of everything which I got in home.