When I Decided to Learn German

I only knew two German words before and those are: ‘’Danke’’ und ‘’Guten Tag’’ because of the German band ‘’Tokio Hotel’.” Other than those words, I never had the interest to learn German language.

The First Suggestion I Learn German

It was maybe a year before or months before I studied German when my father told me Germany is already open for accepting new nurses, and maybe I should study German.

Update: This post was written and published by the previous owner of this website. As the new owner of this site, I made some minor edits and changes to match my own writing and publishing style, in May 2023. However, I have left the information mostly in it’s original form. – Amy

I found it ridiculous at that time. Me? In Europe and in Germany? I thought inwardly. No way. I was pining for USA or Australia, but Germany? No, it wasn’t on my list that time. So I downright refused my father’s suggestion. Little did I know I would beg my parents to send me to a German school a couple of months after.

German. Germany. Those words had not crossed my mind while I was reviewing for board exam after graduation. I was hoping, like other aspiring nurses, to land a job in the land of milk and honey. To pass the National Licensure Examination for nurses is our stepping stone.

skyscrapers in view in Berlin, Germany while the author attempted to learn German

Excitement

Everything fell into place. I reviewed and applied for the exam. And then I took the exam and waited agonizingly for the announcement for the release of the list of the new Registered Nurses of December 2013 NLE.

Then on the 15 of January 2014, the big news came. My father wasn’t surprised at all and was very nonchalant about it, really expecting that I would make it. My mother, hmm well, cried… mothers, women…

Congratulations poured. Calls came (overseas and local). After the celebration and living the dream as a new registered nurse came the question – a big, WHAT TO DO NEXT?

Disappointment

Jobless. That was my status after having that appendage to my name. Hopeless. I didn’t want to work as a nurse in my country when I only get 50 pesos a day. I have a friend who opened that topic of Germany again, saying that she knows somebody who works in a German school in Manila and that school is connected to an agency which sends nurses abroad.

That had somewhat caught my attention. Abroad. Learning a new language. That sounded promising for someone who doesn’t know what to do and is jobless. I had a flicker of hope, and it reminded me what my father told me months ago. He was right, after all.

We were not rich. That’s why when I came to tell my parents about everything (including the cost and expenses, of course), I also told them that I wanted to pursue this German job. Of course, my father butted in, ‘’I told you so…’

Given. He was indeed right. But my mother who was like the financial manager in the family, worriedly and sadly told me, ‘‘Where can we get money for that?’’ My hope was suddenly crushed. But I didn’t give up. My mother suggested that maybe I could talk to my cousins abroad and they could lend me money and support me.

The conversation with my cousins was not successful.

I met my friends again and told them the bad news that I couldn’t go to Manila and study German. All I could do is wish them good luck. That was sad, but I didn’t give up. One month before the class started when we heard that maybe we could avail the non-existent program ‘‘study now, pay later.”

More Hope

I called to verify it and received an answer right away, there wasn’t really ‘‘study now, pay later,” but it is negotiable. That’s the beginning of hope.

Days passed. The urge to pursue that new dream didn’t falter. I waited for a miracle. Or maybe for a solution on how I could go to Manila.

The Start of Learning German

While waiting, I spent my time reading. Imagine, I downloaded a German book and some photos with German phrases on them. It was the beginning of my adventure of learning German. I studied a lot – as if I was for sure going to a German school. I just don’t lose hope that fast.

First Attempts: Learn German Numbers and Grammar Points First

I began memorizing the German numbers from 0-10. Next, I opened the German learning book in PDF form and procured some ideas about the grammar, say, accusative and dative and why the articles ‘‘the’’ changed from ‘‘der’’ to ‘‘den.” My English knowledge helped me.

More Hope

I don’t know what came over me or if somebody suggested it to me, but I did write the owner of the school with the email subject, ‘Request’. I asked her if maybe she could grant us this ‘‘study now, pay later.”

Surprisingly, I received an answer. Another hope. One of my friends already flew to Manila, to study and learn German, and I was left in our hometown, hoping against hope. This friend also contacted the owner that maybe she could grant my request because I am goal-oriented and very interested to learn German language.

The owner happened to be a retired doctor from Switzerland, and she suggested that maybe we could have a Skype conversation. I was filled with hope and also a bit feeling of dread. That Skype conversation didn’t happen anyway until the class A1 had already started, and I was still in my hometown.

Doors Finally Open

At last, my cousin agreed to help me with the costs and we also discovered we could get a discount from the language school. I was happy and sad at the same time. I would be leaving my family to pursue my dreams, but I had to. My mother was also sad and told me while we were eating a day before I depart for Manila, that I didn’t have to go and we could still live together.

That was like a knife in my chest. It was heart-wrenching, but I didn’t show it to her.

I still went through it and decided to leave. My mother had wept at the airport, my father had teary eyes, but I kept a straight face the whole time and didn’t show to them that I wanted to cry too. Part of me wanted to stay with them and thought how nice it is to be with my parents, being at home, with my pets but I have to be independent and spread my wings that I could also pay them back for everything they have sacrificed for me.

This was the start of my adventure to learn German and to start a brand new life in Germany!