DAY 6, JANUARY 7, 2023
It is 1:17 in the afternoon, and I’m satisfied with my morning. Groceries are in the house, water too, wood is in the wood carrier, and I even managed to get by the two pharmacies and pick up my vitamins.
This year I’m on a new level and must reestablish my routine. Some things and people may have to go. Not because I don’t like them but because I’ve taken a turn in the bend, and we are no longer walking on the same path.
Everything must change; nothing remains the same. That’s a song by Nina Simone, and it is one of my favorites.
When I finished my three-year contract with the United States Army, I took a European out and decided to stay in Europe, specifically Germany. I realized I learned only about the PX and the commissaries in the different locations in Germany where the Americans lived. I wanted to know more, so I decided to get a job here. I had a Bachelor’s degree with a major and a double minor and was completing my Master’s degree and thought I could get a job with the Americans. But that was not so. My status had changed; according to NATO (North American Treaty Organization), I was a tourist traveling in the country. After four months of hearing, “Yes, we would love to hire you, but…” I knew I had to decide: either learn German and get a job in the German economy or go back to America. I made the decision and decided to stay, and that is when doors started opening. German is a complex language, but I learned it thoroughly because of a German Professor that hung over my shoulders.
I used to think the man hated me. I had all kinds of excuses for him treating me as he did; the first one was that I was Black. We had to read two weekly newspapers, in German, of course. And each week, he would single me first. He always spoke to the class in German, and we had to answer him in German. He was also an ex-soldier in the German army, and I hated that man. I had five German courses, and he was my instructor in each class. It was him against me and me against him. I tried to drop out of my fifth German course because I saw him sitting at the instructor’s desk when I walked into the class on the first evening.
I told myself, “I’m not going through this a fifth time.” I waited until our evening class ended and told him I would be dropping his course. He said, “No, you’re not. I won’t approve it.” I remember shaking my head as I asked him why. He looked at me as if he were looking through me and told me, “Pat, you are a black American woman living in a country that will be hostile toward you. I have seen this happen to other females from other countries, and they are lost. That’s why they don’t go anywhere alone. They move around in groups. I am hard on you because I want to see you go anywhere you want to go and read everything, whether it’s government policies or whatever, so that you comprehend the system and move forward. I have nothing against you being a black woman. I’m proud to be able to help you. I want you to excel; to excel means comprehending the language of the country where you live.”
This man, whom I hated, I learned to love because of his strictness. He took me under his arms, and I learned to write, speak, and read German fluently, and I am thankful.
The rest of my day:
- Two Zoom meetings – one at three pm and one at six pm
- I will eat something between those two meetings.
- The grocery store I went to had alcohol-free champagne. I love to pour it over frozen fruit and sit back and watch the fire.
- I will visit the blogs from Day 5.
Have a lovely Saturday.
Shalom aleichem
Pat Garcia
A wonderful story. You were lucky to find someone who cared about you so much that he gave you his undivided attention, albeit it was strict military discipline. I wonder if any of my professors liked me beneath their unhappy demeanors. One professor in grad school was annoyed with me until I got the highest grade on his tests. But then he turned nice and became my mentor for my thesis. So, that worked out well.
Hello Susanne,
I didn’t know that my professor cared. I fought with him through four classes. With the fifth class, I thought, No Way. Sometimes God sends people in our lives to help us and because they give us a hard time, we want to run in the other direction. Today, I am so grateful that he didn’t let me out of that class.
Shalom Aleichem
Hi Pat. My goodness, what an interesting turn of events – the man you loathed became your mentor. I love it! I’m glad this all worked out for you : )
Best wishes,
Donna M Atwood
D M Atwood
https://www.dmatwood.com
Hello Donna,
Yes, it was an interesting turn of events and I will be forever grateful. I learned a lot from him. He was indeed a truly great professor.
Have a lovely day.
Shalom aleichem
Pat, that is a great story! How wonderful the way it turned out. I admire you, living in a foreign country and wonder how you must view America now, with political factions bickering and (especially one of them) being so mean! I have second-cousins in Berlin, one is an artist, one a musician. They said they would never return here, could never lead the life they lead in the States. I’m glad you found your home and that it welcomed you as it did!
Hello, Maura Beth,
At the moment, I visit my family when it is possible, so I do fly back to the USA. If I would ever go back to live, I don’t know. Right now, I know I am supposed to be here, and I will stay in Europe until our Heavenly Father tells me differently.
Thanks for coming by and have a lovely day.
Shalom aleichem
Hearing more about your remarkable life, makes it all the more convincing that you need to always keep writing writing, writing, Pat!
Hello, Lisa,
Thank you so much for dropping by. Yes, writing and music are in my blood.
Have a lovely day.
Shalom aleichem
Sometimes the teachers who demand the most from you are the ones who love and respect you the most! I’m happy you didn’t drop out, and kudos to that professor for pushing you to reach your highest potential. My dad was stationed in Germany for nine years; he kept asking to stay there. He loved the language and still practices it on Duolingo. Thanks for sharing your story today, Pat!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Hello, Yvette,
I can say Amen to that statement.
It is also nice to know that your dad is still speaking German. That is wonderful.
Have a lovely day.
Shalom aleichem
Pat, I admire your courage and bravery. It takes a lot to pick up and move to a foreign country with a language barrier. I was once asked to move to California and stay with a cousin and start a new life. I didn’t have the courage to do it.
Hello Shirley,
To be honest, I didn’t know I could do it either. But God opened doors and HE closed doors that I wasn’t supposed to go through.
Now, whenever I learn a new language I am amazed at how I just accept it as a fact of life. I was never like that before.
Have a lovely day.
Shalom aleichem
Hi, Pat! When we first moved to Germany, my parents enrolled us in German school. I was twelve, the oldest, and no one would speak English to us. We were expected to keep up our grades, even though the books, the teaching, and all interactions were in a language we didn’t speak or read. I HATED it. At about the third week, the school assigned me a tutor for the language. She also never said a word in English. By the end of the school year, my siblings and I were fairly fluent in German. Then we moved to Italy. Rinse and repeat, only that time in Italian. I admire your strict teacher for having your best interests at heart, but it might have been helpful had he explained all that in the beginning. Kudos for sticking it out! Blessings!
Hi, Patty,
Good for you! Your parents did you a big favour. I applaud you.
Shalom aleichem
Hi, Pat! I’m here early today (and out of order, as I need to get to your other blog posts), but my daughter is having the same trouble with one of her professors. And, he is the only one teaching the course in which she needs to get through to her Masters degree. I have threatened to call the university (of course, I hear, “Mommy, please let me handle it. It’s not like I’m in elementary or junior high school anymore.”) So, I sit back, and take her lead. She got by without having to take him last semester, but she had him the year before and I instructed her to report him to the dean of the department. He changed a little after that. Right now, I’m hoping that something prevents him from teaching the class which begins on Monday, so that my baby has a stress-free stroll into her last semester of her Masters Degree. Then, we’re headed for her doctorate!
I’m proud of you that you stuck it out in Germany. From what I can tell, you were made for that place and you love it! I don’t ever want to be anywhere but here, home, on US soil. Every other place is a bit terrifying for me, especially after the Brittney Griner incident.
Enjoy the rest of your day, Pat, and smile because I made it here early! LOL
Hi, Nonnie,
Any foreign country is a lesson that has to be learned. If I had known what I would face, I probably wouldn’t have stayed. But somewhere in the first year, I fell in love with Europe.
Thank you for your comment.
Have a lovely day.
Shalom Aleichem
Great share!
Thank you, Bette.
Shalom aleichem