Trip to Germany (May 2005)

September 5, 2006 in Uncategorized

“It’s finally happening!” I cannot contain the excitement as I boarded the plane that will take me to Germany. I didn’t mind if it was an hour late, all I can think about was how close I was to setting foot in Europe.

I specifically asked for a non-wing window seat to enjoy the view. As I settled in my seat, I silently prayed for a pleasant seatmate who knows how to speak English just so I won’t spend the entire time peering through the window. Until that hour, I’m still wasn’t sure how I’m going to get through the 15-hour haul of a trip.

While the plane cruised at 35,000 meters above sea level thoughts from home entertained me; of how happy my family was for me, of shopping for warm clothes, of delegating my responsibilities while I’m away. Then everything started to sink in as we go farther and farther away from home. It seemed only yesterday when I received an invitation from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for a free seminar in
Germany. Then I tried my luck and applied. Everything else followed.

Every month, the German foundation based in Makati sends partners to Germany to attend workshops that cover topics such as liberalism, globalization, terrorism, conflict management, among others. It’s an all-expense paid trip, including a comfortable accommodation at the Theodore
Heuss Academy in Gummersbach. The seminars last for a week or two, usually attended by 24 individuals from different parts of the world. My seminar was about press freedom. It’s a topic relevant to my profession, being in media relations ever since I left UP and conferred a degree in journalism.

After a glimpse of some snow-capped mountains, cloud formations, two movies, three meal servings, simple conversations with my pleasant seatmate from Portugal and numerous attempts to catch some sleep, we landed at the Frankfurt International. Inside the spacious and modern airport, I wondered again why I didn’t take German lessons instead of Spanish. It could really come in handy now that the signs are all in German. I can’t also help but hold it in comparison with NAIA and wondered if NAIA 3 would be in a better posture. I asked for instructions and walked to the direction of the long distance train station. At the last minute, I took the train to Cologne because I lost my connecting flight, having arrived later than scheduled.

At the train, I sat with a lady from Cologne who is coming home after studying in Dallas for two months. She teaches computer science at the University of Cologne. As we advanced, it felt like having a guided tour of the city with Merijam pointing at landmarks from time to time, telling me their names in German and also in English. I also learned that we were in the same train that travels across
Europe. During the ride, I marveled how green the surroundings were, with trees dotting each side of the railway. There were no skyscrapers, only old buildings and few remnants of the war.

The Cologne train station is situated in front of the famous Cathedral. And this is where I got my first impression of Germany—in the face of the colossal cathedral that now appears black as an indication of time. The 18th century cathedral is an impressive display of Neo-Gothic architecture. The newness of it was a reminder that I’m setting foot on a foreign land for the first time and what I’ve been missing all this time. I resolved then to enter the church to sample the efficacy of a Filipino belief of asking for three wishes in a new church.

I found new companies on the way to Gummersbach—Martin, the driver from the Academy; Rosendo, from Honduras; and Lih Yi, from Malaysia. I got to practice my Spanish during the 35-minute drive from Cologne to Gummersbach, translating Rosendo’s words for Lih Yi and the driver. Martin commented that we came on the first warm day. I didn’t know yet what is warm by 13 degrees, as I hug my coat tighter. When I studied in Baguio City, I can’t remember the temperature dipping that low. But I later learned what he meant after experiencing the typical German weather of 4 degrees.

I got to meet all the participants during the welcome dinner and made mental note of the Asians in the group. My facility for the Spanish language, however basic, came in very useful in starting conversations with the Latin American participants. I gathered also that I was the run-away winner when speaking of the longest time spent on travel. That explains why I got the worst case of jet lag, struggling with the longest time difference of six hours.

On the first day of the seminar, I found myself with a cold. Of all days to be sick, I had to be sick that day when I was in Germany. I don’t normally take medication whenever I got a cold but I found my new friends’ offer for medication hard to resist. Soon I’m taking medication from different parts of the world and already lost track which one made me well.

The workshop opened with an assessment of the real situation of media in regional settings. This part of the seminar was an eye-opener of the prevailing reality that problems besetting Filipino media practitioners are also experienced by those abroad: In Russia and Brazil, reporters were also threatened; in Cambodia, they were also receiving low pay; in every part of the world, they are clamoring for better condition for the press.

At this point, I raised the issue from home about the killing of journalists. A recognized democracy, the Philippines has been condemned for failure to address this problem and the failure to bring perpetrators to justice.

I considered it a setback to be under medication. During the first few days it prevented me from consuming alcohol and from staying up too late at the bar. The nightly sessions spent at the bar were hard to miss for they are as important as the sessions conducted during the day. Drinks can be bought using the plastic chips that came with the seminar kit. And there were no barriers to the livelier exchanges that took place between participants. This is where we bonded and formed friendships we swore before glasses of beer to keep.

In this time of the year, the sun sets at about 10:30 pm in Gummersbach. That gave us plenty of time to explore the town center on foot or do some recreation sports like table tennis, billiards, foot ball or do the laundry while having a sauna bath. One evening we raided the nearby supermarket but couldn’t buy anything cheap. All priced in euros, we were shocked to find everything three times more expensive in other currencies.

Each night before retiring, I reminded myself that back home, the sun was just about to rise. While I prepare to give my weary soul a rest, my loved ones have just woken up to a new day, revived and revitalized. I felt blessed once again to live that moment in the other side of the world. I had so many expectations coming there and I came home exceeding that and having more. My luggage was fuller with gifts from my new friends. With the different kinds of currencies given to me as tokens of acquaintance, I will be able to start a small collection. But most important of all are the lessons I learned through sharing on the issue of press freedom and the right to information. In this league, I felt proud for our country having media organizations that vigilantly watch over our democratic institutions. And I’m prouder of our people who insist on their right to know and their perseverance to contribute to efforts of building the nation. Because until this modern day, there are people who are kept in the dark and places where free press doesn’t exist.

After falling back to routine a month after Gummersbach, I’m still wearing the famous GT (German Time). I still can’t find the heart to set my watch back to Manila time. It’s comforting to have something to remind me of Gummersbach, the people I met there and the things we learned about each other, with me all the time. Everyday the emails are pouring from miles away. They are like a dosage of food supplement that I take daily for better nourishment.