I am an avid reader and have been into writing, though not very regularly. I made it a regular habit throughout the past 6 months.
Naturally, when I was asked if I could write for DeutschAkademi’s blog, I was more than excited!
Though it was just a means to share my views, it ended up becoming more than that. It worked as an outlet for my feelings about the beautiful and hard things of learning a new language, the places and things that I love and enjoy doing etc.
I discovered it actually makes sense to share feelings like this with somebody who can empathize with it. I started looking forward to penning down things which are close to my heart and those that I am and have been experiencing on a day-to-day basis.
One of the takeaways is that the more you share your feelings, the happier and lighter you feel.

When I first decided to move to Germany, I was excited and a little apprehensive at the same time.
I was excited about living in Europe, novelty and travels but was apprehensive about the weather, culture and missing my homeland.
Almost 10 months down the lane now, I am happy to say that I love being here. The travels that one can make to Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia in general and all over Germany itself in particular!
Munich is just my kind of place. Not too loud and not too subdued. I love the fact that it has a metropolitan culture where I can spot people from many nationalities and being not too noisy at the same time.
I also appreciate the richness the German language has and the arts and culture here – literature, drama, sports, lifestyle etc.
Although I am looking forward to a trip to my homeland in a few months, I am also very excited to get back here again!

This place is the perfect one when you want to actually feel laid-back and relaxed.
It’s not very far from Munich, with just a 2-hour train ride. It is covered under the Bayern ticket which is quite economical.
Once you get there, you can take the bus to the Walchensee Lake which is actually breathtaking!
If it is a sunny day, you’ll be able to enjoy a good swim and just lie in the sun. There is also a hill just next to the lake where people go trekking.
The restaurants and cafes are quite good and there’s a special cheese cake which is a must-try.
For some reason, the place is not very crowded even on sunny days. The lakeside is well-maintained and has a lot of activities to do as well. It is a great place to have some nature therapy and some instagram-worthy pictures!

Chiemsee is such an underrated day-trip. We came to know about this place from a friend in a casual conversation and we googled (if that’s a verb) for further information.
It is just a 1 hour journey from Munich and it’s a good idea to set off early.
Once you reach Chiemsee, you can choose from one of the packages for conveyance to the various islands – Herreninsel and Fraueninsel.
Herreninsel has this beautiful  palace built by Ludwig II called Herrenchiemsee while the Fraueninsel has a nunnery and shops which sell Cloister liquor and Marzipan.
The place is very scenic and the travels to and from the islands are a good experience too. It is a great trip to make in the summers but is fun and open in the winters too but with reduced opening times.
If you get a long weekend and see that the weather is good, you’re not going to repent taking this trip.

I visited Heidelberg in May, this year. The climate was just right, the cold almost left and it was a little warm.

It was a 2-day trip where we spent the first day in Mannheim and the second in Heidelberg. We stayed in an AirBnB where the host was super-friendly and was happy to offer directions and tips for our trip.
Mannheim was nothing compared to Heidelberg’s glorious castle and Old Bridge! The walk across the bridge is one that is a must-do if you want your mind to wander and get some peace while at it.
The walk up to the Castle Peak is just right – not too tiresome and not too light. The view of the whole city from the top is just scenic!
All-in-all, my opinion is that it is better to have a day trip from Munich to Heidelberg and skip Mannheim altogether. Do add it to your summer trips for sure!

I was not much of a football fan till I came to live in Germany. I think many people have similar feelings.
But watching a match along with thousands of fans, seeing the energy and hearing the cheers you kind-of give in and want to be a part of the fun too.

I went to the match between FC-Bayern and Manchester United in August at Alliance Arena. The place itself, which is deserted generally seems like it comes to life when there’s a match!

I actually found myself rooting for FC-Bayern halfway to the game and losing myself in the moment. And, we won!

However, the best part for me wasn’t over. By the time we reached the S-Bahn, there were so many people there that the lines extended till entrance of the station. Though there was so many people in a small place, there wasn’t any pushing or shoving. People, including kids respected other people’s space.
I was very much impressed with Müncheners, both during and after the match!

Oh, we’ve all been there! Whenever we don’t understand a word from a foreign language, we rub the Aladdin Lamp (not even thrice, just once actually) and we have the answer.

Well, it doesn’t work all the time, though. Some of the true-translation pitfalls I’ve come across: Telling somebody “Es ist halb-neun” when it’s 9:30 AM. It actually means 8:30.

Most common thing though, is when someone asks “How are you?” and you say “Ich bin gut”. You want to say “Es geht mir gut” whereas “Ich bin gut” actually means that you are a good person.

One more embarrassing mistake coming up – you introduce one of your friends (male/female) as “Er/sie ist mein freund/freundin”. It actually means he/she is your boyfriend/girlfriend. To be safe, say “Er/sie ist ein/eine freund/freundin von mir”.

The last might not be a blunder and people might understand what you say but it’s just not right. When you want to say “I came by train”, you should say “Ich bin mit dem Zug gefahren”. True-translation does not work here, sadly.

However, embarrassing yourself once in a while is okay. It is a much surer way to learn, have some laughs and save a great story for later!

Ankitha

Hello all! I have been taking the German course for the past 4 months. Before that, I tried to learn the language by myself at home for close to 2 months in vain.

I think one of the main reasons is that it is extremely hard to maintain the discipline every single day when you’re in it all by yourself. I found myself studying for hours on few days and hardly opening the book on a few days. And I’m pretty sure that that’s one of the worst ways to learn a language. You learn a little everyday and you gradually master it.

Anyway, once I started going to the course, I was doing exactly that. There is also solace in the fact that you’re not learning alone. Better yet, you have companions to make mistakes with and a teacher to correct those mistakes.

There is also the most obvious motivator which works for many things – money. You remind yourself that you got to make it count. The other important motivators being the material, occasional tests, monthly Stammtisch and the daily Hausaufgabe!

Ankitha

One of the day-trips from Munich which gives a perspective and sets a serious outlook for the next few days is Dachau.

We might have read a few of books or watched a few movies on the Holocaust, but it is never equal to witnessing the place in person. It kind of scares you how much a person is capable of hurting another.

One of the messages displayed there says “never again”. It means, never again will we repeat such acts, never again shall we let this happen to any other living being, let alone a person.

It is really impressive how well this place is maintained so that the next generation gets to know what happened there and can draw lessons from it.

It left me thinking that maybe all nations should embrace their mistakes along with their achievements. After all, what are we, if we don’t learn from the past and make the future even better?!

Ankitha

I find Munich a great place to live. Well, except for the exorbitant rental prices, of course!

There are a lot of places which are my favorites – some famous and some not so. The best place I prefer to hangout is the Japanischer Garten which is quite close to where I live. Yes, it is not known to a lot of people, but is a little version of the crowded Englischer Garten. It offers restaurants, gardens and flower gardens with a lot fewer people. It is near the ‘Westpark’ U-Bahn stop.

In addition to the above, I also like the Olympia Park which is quite a happening place. It is one of the best places to spend summer evenings just reading a book or going for a jog or even for some nature-therapy! If you are a fan of the Englischer Garten, do check out the place where people do surfing regularly. It is near the ‘Museumplatz’ bus stop and is a fun sight.

Some other things I’d like to do here – spend a rainy day at the Deutsch Museum (the ticket costs just 1 Euro on Sundays), enjoy a sunny day at the Stanberg Lake and just roam the streets of Odeonsplatz where life seems more vibrant than the rest of the city!

Ankitha