Hello everyone,
It has been an unreasonable amount of time since I last wrote. More than a month! And so many things can happen in a month.
The days are shorter and colder. We are now on winter time (4.5 hours behind India). I’ve changed my email font 🙂 Collected the first pilot data for my project, started statistics classes, neurocognitive development classes and will start psychological assessment soon too. So work has been pretty busy!
But things are also busy socially- Jazz/Pop Choir has started again on Monday evenings. The department had its monthly social gathering at the Loft last to last Thursday. The very next day we had a WG-psycho night where we all watched The Shining together.
That Saturday my friend from Edinburgh came over and the Deepavali party started at 7pm. Everyone brought food (vegetarian) and enjoyed each other’s food. The playlist was definitely noticed (I had mixed rock, classical, world music, and Indian ghazals together). My colleague’s 6 week old baby also came and I was so excited to hold her! She was so small, light and cute 🙂 My good friend also told me she is now engaged and that she had been waiting to tell me in person! I was so excited for her I hugged her multiple times congratulating her with a very high pitch! The house managed the crowd much better than I had expected. When everyone was settled and relaxed my new flatmate asked if I wanted to perform for them. I always get apprehensive about singing in front of people but with him on the guitar it wouldn’t be so bad I thought. So we went backstage, practised 3-4 songs and returned. It was well received and they all asked for more so we sang a few which we hadn’t really practised. I grew more confident after the first song.
All my flatmates helped clear up after people had left and the remaining the next day. I was feeling very much full of love for them!
I’ve been watching almost no Star Trek for the past 2-3 weeks! Simply no time! Also, when my musician flatmate and I start talking, it usually lasts a long time and leads to a lot of exchanges of music. His room is very homely and inspired by that, I’ve also started decorating mine. My other new flatmate (real estate) is also very friendly but he spends many of his weekends in his home town and the evenings running with my other flatmate. The house feels a lot more full with 6 participating members.
My friend from Edinburgh stayed till Tuesday evening and we spent some time in the city, talking, watching movies and cooking, dancing and eating together. We even did some stretches and yoga. On Monday night 4 of us watched American Psycho and it scared me into having a similar dream! The goodbye was sad. I wanted her to stay longer.
And good news has been flowing in in torrents- engagements, broken couples getting back together, new babies to be born etc. etc.
And I feel very much embedded in this life here now. Why, just at dinner tonight, Maren asked me if I would like to spend Christmas day with her, Dirk and their families. I was a bit hesitant because I didn’t know whether she was trying to be nice (because I won’t be home with my family for Christmas) or she really wanted me there. But it turns out she and her brother really do want me! When I said yes, she looked so happy it was heart warming.
I truly have the best flatmates in the world! They are so sweet, loving and accepting (even of my loud behind the door singing). They even said I ought to stay in Germany after my PhD. When I hesitated, they asked if I didn’t like it here. What a question! If one can’t live with their family, this kind of wohn-gemeinschaft is the best alternative. A house full of warm people.
I hope all of you are well. Would be nice to hear from you 🙂
Lots of love and hugs