Integration

It is a special day today.

It marks a new milestone. It signifies a new beginning. It represents the birth of a me that has finally moved on. The actualisation of settling down here. The stamp of acceptance that I am here.

I went with Claudia, Enzian's good friend Marcus' mother, for coffee. We went to Gerners at Westfriedhof, a classy breakfast cafe to get to know each other in a glorious sunny autumn morning for a marvelous breakfast.

My breakfast Olympiastadion which consists of a boiled egg, muesli with yoghurt, herbed whipped cream cheese and seasonal fruits.

I found out that it isn't a norm that mothers here get together for coffee mornings like those expatriates' wives in KL. They lead busy lives here, most of them working, very few are stay-home-mums like her... and I. Claudia's English is as good as my German, so the conversation was a mixture of both languages. I loved the fact that I could freely practice my German without any inhibitions, a mental barrier that I couldn't breakthrough myself to use it with my in-laws. Not their fault, because I know they all are doing their best to make me feel like home here. It is my crooked mindset. So, spending this morning with Claudia kind of boosted my confidence a wee bit to use the language more.

After breakfast, she drove us around to do some sight-seeing. She showed me Schloss Nymphenburg, a gorgeous city castle once lived by King Ludwig and Nymphenburger Kanal, a long canal which will be frozen in winter and make an excellent place for ice-skating.

I don't know which way this acquaintance is going to develop into. But it doesn't matter. She doesn't know it, but she is the one, the honorable VIP, who cuts the red ribbon at the opening ceremony of my integration into Germany.

The guest of honor, Claudia.