#跨国婚姻##德国生活##环球旅行##女性觉醒##人物故事#
This is the 4,492nd real story we have told
In the scorching heat of the Sahara Desert, a woman from the East sits on a camel led by a guide and slowly travels through the desert. The scorching sun pressed their shadows on the sand, and they seemed very small in the vastness of the desert.
Climbing up a high sand dune, they stopped for a short rest. The woman looked around at the vast sea of sand, and her mind came to mind the Sahara Desert with a three-mao brush. Having grown up reading Sanmao's novels, she has a special affection for the Sahara Desert.
At this time, there is only the rustle of the wind blowing the sand, and nothing else. At this moment, she felt very different, her heart was very quiet, as if she had found herself again, and she really felt her existence.
This Oriental woman is me, a Chinese girl who studies and works in Germany and loves to travel around the world.
(I was traveling in the Old City of Jerusalem)
I am Xixi, born in Luoyang, Henan Province in 1989, a standard post-80s generation.
Mom and Dad were both high school teachers. Dad taught history, mom taught language. Since I was a child, my grades in various subjects have been very good, and my humanistic family environment has also made me strong in liberal arts. But when I was in high school, I chose science because my parents thought it would be easier to find a job after studying science.
After graduating from high school in 2006, I was admitted to Shandong University with good scores to major in life sciences, which was a very popular major at that time. I chose this major because I was very interested in chemistry and biology when I was in high school.
At that time, there was a strong atmosphere of going abroad in college, and many students wanted to go abroad for further study after graduating from their bachelor's degree, and I was no exception. Considering the rigorous scientific research style in Germany, and the tuition fee for studying at public universities in Germany is completely free, and the living expenses are relatively low, I plan to study in Germany in the future.
When I was a sophomore, I started teaching German on my own and enrolled in a German course outside of school. I feel like I have a talent for languages, I've always learned English well, and I'm a quick learner of German. Although the grammar of German is more complicated, by the time I was in my senior year, I was able to communicate in German at a basic level.
(When I was a kid, I played in the snow in front of my house)
In my senior year in 2010, I went to Beijing for a period of German language courses, took the language test for studying in Germany (DeF) and got a certificate, and later took a professional test.
After applying, I received offers from several universities in Germany, and finally I chose Schiller University Jena in East Germany to study microbiology.
In October 2010, I came to Germany to start my study abroad career. The small town where the Schiller University Jena is located is a university town with a strong technological development. It is proud that Marx was studying for his Ph.D. at this university at that time.
When I first arrived in Germany, I adapted quickly in terms of language, and I had no problem listening to the teacher and communicating with my classmates. It's just that the course design and exam format are different from those in China, and it takes a while to get used to it.
The two years of studying for the master's degree passed quickly. After graduating with a master's degree, I was recommended by my supervisor to continue my doctoral studies at an environmental research institute in Germany. When I was doing my master's degree, the environmental institute collaborated with the lab where I did my final thesis.
Part of my Ph.D. research is in the microbiology part and the other part is in the stable isotope analysis of partial chemistry. The building where I worked when I was a Ph.D. was where Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel also did research.
(I was engaged in scientific research activities in South America with a research ship)
Universities in Germany are wide in and strict out, and it is not easy to graduate. For example, it is normal to graduate in 4 or 5 years to study for a doctorate, not only to take enough credits, but also to publish articles and write large dissertations.
The research of the doctoral project must be innovative, and you must write your research results and publish them into articles. Some topics will be easier to produce results, and some topics will be more difficult to produce results, and the supervisor will only give you a direction to guide you, and you will encounter all kinds of problems in the research process, and you will be very painful at this time.
In addition to doctoral projects, you also have to solve problems in your own life. Schools or research institutes generally only give students three and a half to four years of tuition assistance, if you have not graduated by the end of the year, then the subsequent study will be very difficult, many doctoral students will not be able to graduate, so at that time everyone's pressure is very high.
When I was studying for my PhD for almost three and a half years, through self-assessment, I didn't want to continue academic research in the future, and I wanted to do research and development in industry. I finished my experiments early and started preparing for my doctoral dissertation.
I kept checking materials, doing experiments, and discussing with my supervisor and classmates when I had any questions, and finally completed the first draft of my thesis in the third and a half years of my Ph.D.
(I was engaged in scientific research activities in South America with a research ship)
In the final stages of my PhD, I had already found my first job in Germany. I handed over the first draft of my dissertation to my teacher and started working, and the doctoral dissertation defense was completed after working for a while.
My first job started in August 2016 as a laboratory consumables company in a small city in Germany. When the doctor posted the article, I used this company's laboratory consumables products, and it happened that this company was recruiting, so I applied and passed.
In the company, I am mainly responsible for technical support, explaining the nature and use of consumables to customers, and also conducting research on market materials.
Although the treatment of this company is average, the daily expenses are enough. There are more locals in the company, and I am a Chinese. After working for a year, I felt that I could not fit into the overall working environment of the company, and I wanted to change to a more international company.
(Our research activities were reported in Germany newspapers)
After two job hops, in 2021 I came to a Fortune 500 scientific instrument company, near Frankfurt. I have always wanted to work in this kind of large laboratory instrument company, firstly, I have been exposed to the top scientific research technology here, and secondly, the products of this instrument company are very profitable, and the treatment of employees is also very good. I work as an application scientist in this company for research and user training of applied methods.
I am very happy with this business. The unit not only allocates cars to employees, but also has more flexible time, can work from home, can go out to visit customers at any time, does not work much overtime, and the boss gets along well with employees. The pay here is also the highest in my jobs.
(I participated in the Research Story Presentation Contest in Germany)
In 2021, I not only found my dream job, but also met the right life partner. My husband and I met at a friend's party, a Ukraine, a few years older than me, who worked as an executive in the automotive industry in Germany.
We felt very close through chatting, and after getting along for a while, we both felt pretty good. We both felt lucky to have met each other.
When it came time to talk about marriage, but Ukraine had been fighting during that time, so we couldn't go back to his hometown to hold the wedding. In 2023, we held a Western-style wedding at the Georgia Orthodox Church, and at the beginning of 2024, we returned to Luoyang, Henan Province for a Chinese-style homecoming banquet, and he especially likes to eat our hometown braised noodles.
(We had our wedding at the Georgia Orthodox Church)
Ever since I had an income from my PhD, I started saving a little money to travel. I like to go out alone, not with others, not with a group, just look up the guide on the Internet, and then book my own plane ticket to start a trip.
I have about 30 days of annual leave, and I plan my time for work and vacation travel to make myself relaxed.
In the beginning, I traveled to various countries in Europe, and it was very convenient to get around. Later, when the salary was a little more, I preferred to go to the Middle East and North Africa and other countries and regions, such as Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, etc. Because it is the birthplace of civilization, I myself am very interested in this aspect of historical civilization.
When I travel, I like to see historical sites and communicate with the locals to learn about their lifestyles and customs, including what they eat at home. I really want to see how ordinary people like us live in other countries.
Before, whether it was going to school or work, I felt like I was being pushed forward step by step, and I never thought about why I wanted to do it.
By traveling alone, I had a feeling of finding myself. I slowly discovered what kind of person I am, what kind of personality I have, and what kind of things I like.
(I was traveling in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan)
When I travel, I mainly speak English to the locals, and I don't have much problem communicating with them. I've been to dozens of countries, and many of them have left a deep impression on me and unforgettable. The most impressive ones are Sri Lanka, Israel, Peru and so on. I write all my travel stories on my social media accounts.
Sri Lanka is a small island in the India Ocean, it is relatively close to India, and the physical characteristics of the people there are more similar to those of Indians. It's a tropical island and tourism hasn't been particularly developed, so there are pristine beaches, coconut palms and not a lot of tourists, so it's beautiful and relaxing.
I also had a small accident while traveling there. I was alone on the beach that day, walking and looking at the scenery. Because there were very few people on the beach that day, I was besieged by a pack of stray dogs. Several stray dogs bit my leg to the point of blood, which was very scary.
I was in a small local village, and in the evening, it was very far from the big hospital, and the transportation was not very good. I drove more than 80 kilometers on an electric tricycle driven by a local man to get a rabies vaccine at a slightly larger hospital.
This is one of the more thrilling things for me during my trip, and it also reminds me to take precautions and pay attention to safety during my trip.
(I traveled to sites during the Roman Empire in Lebanon)
During my trip to Sri Lanka, I also went to the homes of the locals to eat and experience their lives. Most of the time, like India, they like to eat curry meals. They live in a very relaxed state, and although they don't have much money, they smile very brightly all day long.
I also found a very interesting phenomenon in Sri Lanka. In Thailand, there are many elderly men from Europe and the United States who come to marry young Thailand women. But in Sri Lanka, the industry is reversed, and many older women from Europe and the United States come to the young men here to marry.
I met a writer who wrote a book called Beach Boys, which was about this industry in Sri Lanka.
Later, I heard from the locals that older women from Europe and the United States would be accosted by local men when they were at the beach. They hope to follow these elderly women to their homes in Europe and United States and have a good life, or some women will give them money when they come here for vacation. After learning about this phenomenon, I really feel that there are no wonders in the world.
Another place that stood out to me was the Sahara Desert in Morocco. When I was a child, when I read Sanmao's Sahara Desert, I was very fond of it. Then I went to the Sahara Desert on my own, and I felt quite bold. I got a guide and let him take me on a camel into the Sahara Desert. I also experienced the unique charm of the Sahara Desert under Sanmao's brush.
(One person, one camel follows the guide deep into the Sahara Desert)
I have also been to Israel twice, both during a relatively peaceful period in Israel, mainly in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a holy city of three religions, and I was deeply impressed when I went there, because the people there are so different from us Chinese.
We can't imagine how crazy people there must be for religion, maybe we didn't grow up in that environment.
In Jerusalem, I saw the Jews standing in front of the Wailing Wall in the Holy Land, and they were really whining. I am amazed at how people in the world can be so different, with so many different values and so many ways of life, and there is more to life than just a fixed way of living.
In addition to traveling, I usually like to exercise, often go to the gym, play ball, swim, and be able to maintain a good physical condition. With a good body, whether it is work or travel, it can make me energetic and energetic.
(I was traveling to the Machu Picchu ruins in Peru)
As I've gotten older, I've thought more about female awakening. I grew up in a more traditional and conservative environment. My idea since I was a child was to wait until a certain age to find a marriage partner, and after getting married, it will be the male protagonist and the female protagonist.
As I grew older, I saw some unfairness around me, for example, that many women had to spend a lot of time on housework, but they were not paid for it.
Because housework and childcare take up your time, then you can't give 100% of your career. If everything is fine with your family life, that's fine, but if it doesn't go well and you get divorced, then the impact on your life is hard to predict.
I see that women in Germany are the same in this regard as they are in China, and women are also at a disadvantage. For example, many women in Germany choose to work part-time after giving birth, which means that you can work half a day and go home to take care of your children for the other half of the day. This is a good benefit for the whole family.
But once a woman works half-time, she will definitely not make much progress in her career, and who will find a half-time person to be an executive? Basically, you can only do a very basic position. Half-time, not only the salary is small, but the pension is also very small, and then the pension will be very small, maybe less than 1,000 euros, only a few hundred euros.
(I read at the Library of Alexandria, Egypt)
The divorce rate in Germany is also very high, once the divorce, you do half a job, then you will definitely not be very good financially, to the old age life will be more tight, so female poverty in Germany is also a more serious phenomenon. I think women all over the world are likely to face this dilemma.
Another aspect is that women have such a biological clock, for example, it is not easy to have children after the age of 35. I've been thinking about this a lot since I turned 30, and I feel that women in this society have to bear a lot of burdens, and there will be a lot of unfairness.
I think this is a systemic problem for the whole society, and there is no good solution in each country at the moment. Our company also often has this kind of women's lectures, telling us how women can better take care of their feelings and balance housework and work.
Listening to other German women share their experiences, I feel that despite different systems and different methods, women in this society are often in an exploitative role, whether overt or implicit.
My own perception is that women still have to work hard to make their financial situation as good as possible, so that they can avoid a lot of unfavorable situations for themselves. I think it's too unreliable to say that you rely solely on men, that you put your destiny in the hands of others, and that you include traditional ideas in the past.
(I'm in the city center of Bahrain, the country of Middle Eastern tycoons)
Regarding future planning, my husband and I are currently working and developing relatively stable in Germany, and we just got married last year, so we will still work and live in Germany in the near future.
But I also yearn for life in the Middle East, especially Dubai in the U.A.E., which I think is a very international city. Its geographical location is also a place where various continents are connected, and people from Asia, Europe, and Africa are all there, and various cultures are integrated and more diverse.
Germany is not a traditional country of immigrants, so I can still feel a kind of estrangement. If I can get a good job in Dubai, I may also go there to develop, where the job pay is also good, and basically no tax is paid, and the hand will be much higher than in Germany.
And the weather over there was perfect for me, the kind of hot weather with the sun that I liked. The weather in Germany is rainy all year round, and the summer is only ten degrees Celsius, which can sometimes be very depressing.
(I'm at the top observation deck of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai)
Our life in Germany is generally good and stable. For students who want to come to Germany to develop, I would like to say that there are good and bad sides to living in any country.
I think one of the more attractive things about Germany is that it can maintain a relative work-life balance, protect the rights and interests of employees, and work is relatively easy.
However, Germany's wages are not particularly high compared with United States and other countries, and you can only live a stable and well-off life. There is also that there are too few delicious ones, and they are not as developed as domestic and foreign sales, and ordering takeout is some pizza or something. And the weather in Germany is often cold and rainy, which I don't like.
I myself have a more reserved personality, but I have an independent personality and a clear goal. I love to travel around the world, and I have experienced it slowly in unforgettable trips, not only seeing a different world, but also gradually discovering myself in travel. Working and living in Germany has also allowed me to grow and become more independent and free.
I think especially as women, we need to be financially independent, we must have the ability to survive on our own, we must be kind to ourselves, and we must find ourselves. I believe that only if I become stronger, whether I am married or not, I can calmly cope with the ups and downs of life.
(Welcome to follow the account of the protagonist of this article: Xixi Travel)
[Dictation: Sissy]
[Written by: Ripples in the Sea of Books]
[Editor: Wuxi Wu]
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