Amsterdam to Aachen

Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport is an all-in-one airport. After we collect our luggage and pass the passport control desk, we tried to look for a train station. We have already bought a train ticket on the internet in Malaysia from Amsterdam to Aachen, it cost us approximately RM110. You may buy the train ticket on the spot at airport as well, they have the ticket machine there, but I am not sure whether these machines are manned. We bought the train ticket from "B SNCB Europe", alternative, you may try DB Bahn too. We printed out the ticket and have it with us all the way. Surprisingly, there weren't any ticket checking counter nor a ticket inspector before entering the train. But this doesn't mean that you can take free ride, because they do surprise ticket inspection. If you get caught for deliberately cheating, they'll fine you heavily. 

We are total in 3, one is S.Lady and another one is Lgirl, because she look just like a little girl though we share same birth year. L.girl has prepared a small note about our train routes and station information, and we depend a lot on that note. Not only to show people the station we wanna proceed next when we couldn't pronounce it correctly, also for us to remember which station we should get down. 

From Schiphol station --> Amsterdam Zuid --> Utrecht Centraal --> Heerlen --> our final station, Aachen Hauptbahnhof (Aachen Central Station), it took approximately 3 hours.

Scenery all the way from Amsterdam to Aachen was great, green wide countryside field with trees on horizon and blue sky above, white fluffy sheep, black and white dairy cattle, horses... WOW!!! 

hahaha, sorry if I sound like an idiot, but that's really super amazing for me. =D

Some might ask why don't we spend some time at Amsterdam before travel to Germany. We need to take a placement test in Germany before our class starts, activate our Blocked Account with Deutsche Bank, register ourselves in Aachen state and others, and with 30kg weighted luggage for each, that would be so difficult to move around. Thinking back the moment 3 of us getting our 6 months luggage up to train-floor level and next station moving it down to platform, it was like a tragedy!

Aachen Hbf, our final destination

First day in Aachen was a mess, after we got our apartment key, we spent our another half day cleaning it. Two bed rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Our apartment is just next to street, on second floor, 7 mins walking distance to city, 3 mins walking distance to market and convenient store... Just great situated. But we having difficulties in recognize the road in our first day, we thought we are living in a rural area, no shopping center, no market, no nice restaurant... we found all these the second day.

Our first meal in Germany, it cost us 4,80€. I started to miss Malaysia food so much... Nasi lemak, sambal, roti planta, 幹撈板面, 雲吞面, char kuew tew, curry mee, taufu bok, slurrrp... even maggie mee!!!

it's 14th Oct 2012!

Actually it's already 16th of Oct when I'm writing this. =) And it's chill over here.

I'm writing from Aachen.

We received a call from German Embassy on 1st of October as promised, and we were told that our VISAs are ready. Hahahahaha hahahahahahahaha is the best two words to describe my feeling at that moment if you wanna ask me how do I feel. Thinking back to that moment as I'm writing this paragraph makes me smile.

When the day is getting nearer, the feeling of excited is fading away over time. What replaces the feeling is 舍不得、不舍得。How should I translate this word into English? I knew it's only 6 months leaving my home land behind, and will be back for sure after that, but leaving my parents really doesn't make me feel good. I thank them for their understanding and being supportive all the time, not only moral support but also paying for my living expenses here in Germany. Everything times 4 here, when you read 1€ on the price tag, it actually cost RM4. I convert everything into RM because my parents aren't earning in €.

It was a Saturday night. My parents drove me to my eldest sis's house in PJ one day before the flight. We sleep in one bedroom, me, my dad and my mum. Sharing the same atmosphere for one last night in 2012.

At the airport, in front the departure gate, we hugged, hugged and hugged, and finally we were all in tears. "There will be only me, dad and your youngest sis next year Chinese New Year..." mum said this when she is tearing on my shoulder, and it shattered me into thousand pieces... Me and my mum are the most sentimental one in our family, we cried easily whenever it's related to loved one. My eldest sis and my bro in law left earlier, because laughter and tears are both contagious. My dad and my bf had not shed a single tear that night,

   "why you no cry??" 

Me and my friends ran away from the crowd before we loose control. Like screening a movie, we shouted out our last good bye and ran towards the escalator. It was fun, I think it was fun, but my laughter were mixing with tears. I am on my way to achieve my dream, a dream since 17 years old, and I am leaving my parents, who I have been living together since I were born. MIXED feeling, isn't it?

We kept walking until they couldn't see us anymore, we stopped and wipe our tears away before passing the security screening and passport control desk. One asked, and another answered. "Are my eyes still red? Am I looking normal?" "Okay, you look just alright."

Flight MH016, seat no.C28, 11:55pm.
Sitting in between 4 men, in their middle-age, big tummy, those who flirt hostess making me feeling really sick. big YUK!!!

First meal of the flight was either beef or chicken chop. I chose chicken chop, it served with mashed potato, some carrot balls, broccoli(my favourite) and a bread. I am a pescatarian (A person who eats fish and shellfish but not meat), I left the chicken chop alone and finish the rest. I weren't satiated, but I think I already consumed enough calories. I slept from 3am to 9am Malaysia time. Morning breakfast with a choice of continental breakfast / scrambled egg with chicken sausage / nasi lemak with shrimp sambal. NASI LEMAK with SHRIMP SAMBAL!!! I prayed so hard, hoping no one choose that! But god doesn't heard it, there is only scrambled egg with chicken sausage left when it's my turn. Well, not too bad, at least scramble egg was the main dish, not the chicken sausage. haha, I really thought I have the chance to taste nasi lemak again for last time in 2012.

This is the very first time of mine flying to an Europe country.

45 minutes before landing, there was a short video introducing Amsterdam Schiphol Airport where we going to land on. There I finally got the feeling. I am reaching! Yes, to a land where I have dream for so long. We land on Amsterdam at Malaysia time 1:05pm, 15th Oct 2012. =)

it's 10:35pm, 16th Oct here and it's 4:35am 17th Oct in Malaysia.

Hand in our visa application

After I've gathered all needed documents, I proceed to German Embassy as soon as possible which is on 4th of Sept, well, still not fully armed with confidence, because they always have their rights to reject your application. I met up with my friend S.Lady at Lobby, we were so excited! After all we've been through so many obstacles, finally we are here to hand in our application.

Did I mentioned we actually went to the Embassy a day before? It was 3rd of Sept and we nearly back with empty hand cause the guards at ground floor told us embassy is not open due to our National Day. Luckily I called to the embassy before leaving because I remember on its website, they said they only close on 31st Aug, Friday. Not until I hand my mobile to the guard to let him speaks with the embassy's receptionist, he wouldn't willing to let us enter. The guards got offended when the receptionist told him "Yes, we do open today"(the call was on LOUD speaker XD), cause back to few minutes ago they were telling me embassy is not open with so much confidence even I told them I just called embassy and they are open.

We went there for our first attempt, and the another consular, the kind-hearted-one suggested us to write in German since we graduated from Bachelor in German Language & Linguistic. We went back with a heavy heart, all the way home only one question in our mind "HOW ON EARTH IS IT POSSIBLE TO WRITE ANOTHER MOTIVATION LETTER IN GERMAN BEFORE TOMORROW?" arrghhh... We weren't using German for more than a year, and out of sudden we need to write a long letter in German... Ya, be frankly, I really have no confidence on writing a motivation letter in German, at that moment.

I start directly after I'm home, because I only have not more than 24 hours to complete it (T口T) To be more precise, I need at least 6 hours to sleep, and I still have to work after that (I applied 2 hours leave), so plus minus I only have not more than 6 hours. DAMN, I knew it was merely a suggestion from her saying this may increase my chances to get a Visa, and I know she doesn't mean compulsory, but if you were in my situation, I think most of you who really need the Visa desperately will agree to come back with a German version of M.Letter. So do I. :((((

Hmmpf

I always believe nothing is impossible, and if there is, it's just a matter of time.

Have you ever heard of Google translate? Yes, of course you do and you knew that Google's translation is always not 100% accurate and some(most of the)time, it gives super funny translation for example phrasing error or a totally different version of the original text. With luck, I found this website, Lang-8, where a native speaker helps non-native speaker to correct their writing. I posted my motivation letter on it after I've done writing, and pray for some kind native speaker to correct any grammar mistake I did. I get on bed at 3:30 in the morning, exhausted! I wasn't that young anymore ='( My body couldn't stand to burn midnight oil like I always did last time. GEEZ

The second day I wake up (or should I say 3 hours later) with surprise seeing there's already correction done on my letter =DDD Thanks! I really appreciate the help from the people, (as return, I help the others in Mandarin).

Back to first paragraph --- yes, we were excited, but with panda eyes on us.
This time we need to deal with the always-impolite-consular, when we hand in our German motivation letter to her, she has the crooked smile on her face again. She talked something with her colleague, the kind-hearted one, while reading our letter, we couldn't hear it, there's a glazed window between us. But I swear, we won't like to know what she was saying too. Her witched smile tells everything. And I was right, the first sentence from her after she is satisfied playing with her one-side-higher-smile, "How is it possible to write this since you said you couldn't write in German yesterday? Did you have someone to write it for you?" with a very suspicious tone!

I wish I can scold her with any harsh words that I can think of.
Regrettably I'm just a coward "No, I didn't say that yesterday, I said I'm worried I couldn't write as good as last time because it has been a year I never practice my German."

After so many times dealing with this impolite lady consular, me and my friends having one same question: why is this Malaysian want to impede our way to Germany? She can speak German (very fluently) so I assume she went there before and for sure has been through the same application process like us too. So why? The way she answers question impatiently, the way she puts on her facial expression, the way she talks impolitely... Nothing from her service seems to be helpful. I dislike her, very much.

At last, on 4th of Sept, she told us to check on our application status only on 1st of Oct onward. Do not call before that date.

Erm, did I said we plan to fly there on 14th Oct? ...

p/s: we bought our air ticket with Malaysia Airline, fly from KL to Amsterdam and take train to reach Aachen, Germany. Air tic cost us approximately RM1700 (one way ticket) and train tic cost us RM110.

My Motivation Letter (German)

Again and again, this is not a reference of good motivation letter, so please be kind enough for not expecting zero grammar mistake from this letter. And before I forget, I would really love to present you guys who wanna practice your 2nd or  3rd language with a native speaker, Lang-8. I got frequent responses from native speaker after I post something and wishing a correction for my writing. You may find native speaker for various languages from this website and not only German.
Good luck guys!

My motivation letter (English)