I love Köln. I am currently sitting with my host family, listening to Rumors by Fleetwood Mac, and relaxing after playing a soccer game in the sun. We lost, but I am really proud of my team for improving and playing hard despite their injuries, and the fact that the other team was two leagues above us. They had such a good attitude and supported each other before, during and after the game, and that was wonderful to see. Also I got to legally slide tackle a girl for the first time in ages. I am really happy. These last few weeks have been great. I've fallen into a pattern here and I really enjoy it. In the mornings I have class until 1 o'clock, then the rest of the day to do whatever I would like. Let's be real though, that usually means either eating, sleeping, homework or soccer. My focus these last few weeks has been letting myself sit down and relax for a bit. I spend time exploring the city, going shopping, or what have you alone sometimes, because I've been so overstimulated for the past month, and it's nice to calm down for a moment. It's been difficult, because I want to explore and see EVERYTHING, and I don't want to miss out on a single moment here since I know my time is so restricted. I realize that this is impossible though, and I would rather appreciate the friends, family and community I have here before I leave for the next phase. |
Some updates for the past two weeks:
- I've been spending a lot of time at the botanical gardens. It is my favorite place in Köln, and I could spend every day there if it didn't rain for weeks at a time here. (feels just like home)
- I've been learning some fun phrases recently: Ich glaube ich spinne (I think I spider/ I think I'm going insane), Quatsch mit Soße (bull with sauce/you're lying!), Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (I understand only bus station/ It's all Greek to me), Mein Deutsch ist unter alle Sau (my German is under all of the pigs/ My German is terrible). Etc. Etc.
- I am now in C1 for language school with the Carl Duisberg Centrum, which is essentially college-level German. Unfortunately that meant saying goodbye to Guillermo, who left for Madrid at the end of our class, so we had an Abschiedsparty/Going-Away Party in his honor! Definitely miss this nugget in class. Also got to see the botanical gardens for class for our professor's birthday, and we surprised him with some goodies ;))
During language school we are to give a 10 minute presentation in German about something of interest in Köln. I am working in a group that focuses on people with migration backgrounds, but I specifically am focusing on refugees and asylum seekers, in order to build upon what I did in Rome. I visited an organization called Agisra this week, in order to learn more about how migration laws in the EU have changed over the past two years, as well as hear about those specific to Germany. For instance, one law that has greatly affected refugees and asylum seekers over the past ten years or so is the Dublin Regulation. This act dictates that the EU Member State in which a refugee enters is the country responsible for taking care of them. In other words, refugees cannot leave the country they enter the EU through. This is problematic in countries such as Italy, because not only can refugees enter this country by foot, but The Boot is also an excellent access point for boats and other sea craft. Long story short, Italy gets flooded with more refugees than many more asylum seekers than other countries such as Germany, and they simply do not have the economy to support this influx either.
Many people apply for asylum in Germany, and although every process is different, there is a specific process for women who apply for asylum here, which is essentially a court hearing to determine if they are actually in need. I went to one of these court hearings this week with some members of Agisra to watch a woman defend her and her daughter's need for asylum in Germany. This women is from Albania, but was in Italy for awhile and forced into prostitution, where she got pregnant. Her daughter is 14 years old now, and she fears the same fate for her daughter. She argued that Albania is too small and her "Führer" can find her there, and the police in Italy cannot handle her situation properly. She was turned down for asylum but has until January to apply again. This is pricy though, as it costs 600-700 Euros to write the official letter of need to the court, and around 1000 Euros, if not more, for a good lawyer during this process.
I am very excited to be working with refugees and asylum seekers in the university phase. I hope I can find a church or organization to volunteer with similar to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in Rome, because I really love giving back to others in simple ways such as giving them food, a coat, or some water. I look forward to learning from these people and gaining a better perspective of what is going on in the world and how foreign politics/wars that seem so far away to me are directly impacting people.
That is all I have for now. I'll get back in a week or two when I know about my living situation at the university ;)
Many people apply for asylum in Germany, and although every process is different, there is a specific process for women who apply for asylum here, which is essentially a court hearing to determine if they are actually in need. I went to one of these court hearings this week with some members of Agisra to watch a woman defend her and her daughter's need for asylum in Germany. This women is from Albania, but was in Italy for awhile and forced into prostitution, where she got pregnant. Her daughter is 14 years old now, and she fears the same fate for her daughter. She argued that Albania is too small and her "Führer" can find her there, and the police in Italy cannot handle her situation properly. She was turned down for asylum but has until January to apply again. This is pricy though, as it costs 600-700 Euros to write the official letter of need to the court, and around 1000 Euros, if not more, for a good lawyer during this process.
I am very excited to be working with refugees and asylum seekers in the university phase. I hope I can find a church or organization to volunteer with similar to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in Rome, because I really love giving back to others in simple ways such as giving them food, a coat, or some water. I look forward to learning from these people and gaining a better perspective of what is going on in the world and how foreign politics/wars that seem so far away to me are directly impacting people.
That is all I have for now. I'll get back in a week or two when I know about my living situation at the university ;)