``Everyday Bonn``

I had only two years’ experience in Germany, and it was the first time to experience foreign country other than my country. Hence, my feeling regarding the situation in Germany comes relative to my experience in my continent Africa or my country Ethiopia from where I can easily understand and get information closely. Some days before the incidence which triggered me to put my opinion here, I was in Amsterdam only for one weekend. My aunt whom I was visiting seemed to have a big concern about home security; and kept closing the doors every second if someone is not around, even if she was not far from the sitting room. On my second day, I visited a friend of mine in Amsterdam who also had similar feeling.  He told me his car has been previously stolen once before, on a day light from where he parked near his work place.

This experience made me to appreciate my life in Bonn city (Germany) for the last two years and pen down about the greatness of the city’s residents, about their honesty, about their respect for the law and humanity in general. One incident in particular influenced me to come up with the above statement –It was in June last year in hot day as temperature raised to 36 degree Celsius, I have stayed by the beautiful river run along the university campus made me stay breathing the cool air of the river in the high humidity that Bonn was experiencing on the day. Though I was enjoying the beautiful scenery of the long rivers and water that is found commonly in the whole of Europe, and staying by the common place of my university campus (hofgarten), it was time to head to my room and get ready for the next day. I jumped on the bike and started cycling and hurrying to get to my room as soon as possible. Shortly after I started cycling, I could hear that someone´s voice shouting as ´´Entschuldigen Sie… Entschuldigen Sie `` ... repeatedly, that means ``excuse me sir`` in English. As I was in hurry to get to my destination to get ready for the next day, I didn’t give any attention to the voice and I continued biking. It was a random girl who spotted that I dropped my cell phone and who was trying to catch my attention. She caught me by the traffic light, and she asked me if I have dropped my phone which actually was fallen from pocket of my shorts. Once I checked my pocket, I realized the phone was surely mine. And of course, I was amazed by the kindness, honesty, and determination of the girl who went the extra mile to do a good deed. This experience made me feel safe and dependable Bonn. And this incident particularly motivated me to express my feeling towards the city of Bonn and its residents.

Though I do not deny that living in a country where I have few friends and relatives makes me feel lonely, homesick, miss friends and family, and face challenges of cultural differences, I love Bonn and its people.

Ziade A. from Uni Bonn