On your trip from Beijing to Cologne, Zhang Danhong by a guardian angel. But as soon as they arrived in the metropolis on the Rhine, she experienced a first for Germany as typical of a culture shock.
I arrived on a Saturday night in Cologne – after an Odyssey from Beijing, through Moscow, East Berlin and West Berlin. In my youthful recklessness I had bought in Beijing just the cheapest Ticket to the next flight date – without knowing the exact Route from East Berlin to Cologne and without knowing whether I would find the first night in Cologne, a roof over your head. My confidence in the civilized Germany was boundless. Until the arrival in Cologne, my guardian angel stayed by my side. I could count on him?
Obviously Yes – because as soon as I got out of the train, I discovered Klaus Reh and his wife. “Welcome to my homeland!” The emphasis was on “my”, because so far it was always Vice versa. The news of my imminent arrival have you thrown into turmoil, smiled his wife. Immediately you should have waited, made their way to Cologne, and a hotel room in the Cathedral-the reserved area, then on the train platform to me. Online bookings at that time there was not even, as Science-Fiction-Vision.
Klaus Reh had a good and a bad news. The Good: His Secretary had been able to get hold for me a room in a student residence. The Bad: On Sunday, the Secretariat of the University was closed, so I had to spend two nights in the Hotel. But it was a better Alternative, as on the Rhine, pitch a tent. When saying goodbye in the Hotel Klaus Reh said that his son also pick up at the Cologne University studied, on Monday morning, will first accompany me to the Unisekretariat and then to the student residence. In a fraction of a second I had a suspicion that my father dressed as Klaus Reh and me to Germany would have followed.
Church bells, instead of electric saws
In my last few months in Beijing, I was sawing each Morning by a Symphony of electric and drills roused from sleep. The first neighbors of my parents, who benefited from the opening policy and a modest prosperity had reached, and were eager to design your apartment. Now, I was numb for the first Time in my life, of a ears awakened to Church bells. It sounded so exotic and exciting! As the bells fell silent slowly, vied with the birds for the title of best singer.
The largest bell in Cologne Cathedral, which rings only on high holidays. But even without them it is quite loud.
At once I was wide awake. Sunday! I had a whole day to explore this strange city a little. The street in which the Hotel is located, was empty of people. What is going on here? I wondered. Probably it’s because this is just a small side road, I tried myself to give a statement. However, as to this silence in the street little changed, which seemed to be the main business street, I began to be restless.
Where are all the people? Is evacuated the city? Before is not a disaster? Why else would all the stores are closed? I think of the Wangfujing street in Beijing, effectively the High street for the capital of China. Especially on Sundays, the street is full of people who have time and leisure for shopping. Then I saw the rescue: a Chinese Restaurant that was still open. Without Hesitation, I went in and asked the first waiter I ran, what was going on in Cologne, Germany. Through my ignorance he was amused, probably, inwardly, but outwardly, he kept the Asian courtesy. He patiently explained to me that on Sundays, the shops in Germany were closed. The historical and religious reasons. The people in the Church, home, or went on trips.
Only years later it was the first time shopping on Sundays in Germany
Compared to Beijing, only a large village
With this answer I gave me satisfied. Strengthened by a Wonton soup, I continued my exploring. All fifty meters felt I came across a Church, even between the shops. So many churches offer determined plenty of space for the whole Cologne. What you are doing, it has not interested me on this first day in Cologne, too. I strolled through the shield of the alley and landed on a big square. That was the whole of the centre of Cologne? This corresponded to more than a third of the Wangfujing street. And I thought Cologne was a metropolis. My new home is compared to Beijing more than a large village.
Zhang Danhong was born in Beijing and lives since 30 years in Germany. In the series “English is not a bed of roses” she writes once a week about your first contacts with the German language and their Integration in Germany.