Dear Germany

you are my home, my comfort zone, my place for over 20 years and the country in my passport. The longer I live abroad, the more I consider myself as a Global Citizen and not a particularly nationality. But then I catch myself gazing at the Pretzels here at Auntie`s or find myself on a Birthday party in the German community, drinking Weißbier, watching football and chatting German. Oh Germany, I can`t deny it. You will always make a huge part of my personality. But is that really bad? Here are some things I cannot get rid of no matter how hard I try.

• Longing for German breakfast: Warm, salty pretzels, crunchy buns, brunching on Sundays. This is my kind of foodporn and you know what? No other country provides the same quality. This doesn`t keep me away from going to Auntie`s pretzels here everytime I am in the mall and bite into their buttery pretzels.
• Punctuality: You head out of the house in a rush, run for the train, stress yourself out - just to get an email when you are there (10 minutes early) informing you that the other person will be 30 minutes late. Ah, the perks of growing up in an achievement-orientated society.
• Fast-fast attitude: Time is money. That justifies pushing oneself desperatly in the last available square centimeter in the packed Metro? Yes. I can`t help myself, I always overtake the sneaking people on my way to the BTS. Get out of my way, I am German. Nobody got time for slowliness.
• Living for your resumé: Another perk of spending the childhood in a country that sets the career higher on priority list than family. The moment you get out of school, even before, you live in accordance to your resumé. Everything is about this little piece of paper. There is a chance to join a club, do a job or do a project that I could not care less about but would look great in my CV? I am in.
• It`s all about beer and Jägermeister: Whether you are in Honululu or on the Stuttgarter Vasen. It must be beer and Jägermeister, two of Germany`s export hits. Available everywhere on earth.
• Reading books for fun: I enjoy reading books. Until I came here I thought this would be a pretty normal human activity. I was wrong. Strangers on the train spoke to me staring as if I hold the Nobel Prize: "You read! You are so intelligent. Asian people do not have the patience and they are too lazy." Umm, well you miss out a whole universe out there, boys.
• The romantic of seasons: Sometimes I miss the idea of seasons. A few days ago I could feel the seasons here in Bangkok click. From super-hot summer to mild autumn days. Funny enough nobody but me recognized it. I like scrolling through my friends pictures on Instagram with all their cuddly socks, candles and hot chocolates. But you know what? It is damn cold and freezing and uncomfortable when you step a foot outside the door. So I am fine with looking from the distance. Why couldn`t there be a winter with snow and stuff in warm?

O`zapft is!

If I attend an Oktoberfest here in Bangkok? Of course I will. In my hilarious dirndl dress. I learned that some things will always stay from my German background and that is okay. More than okay. I do not feel ashamed for that. You call that having a culture. I try my best to adapt to this one here without completely losing touch with my own. I love Som Tam and sourdough bread. Temples and cathedrals. Songkran and Oktoberfest. The beautiful thing is that you don`t need to decide because you can have both.