Two weeks ago, I found a penny and made a wish. I wanted everything to change. Don't get me wrong, I am happy with the life I have lived but it didn't take me where I wanted it to go. First of all, I have strongly believed for 25 years now that there could be no worse place for me than Germany, yet I've been here for months now. I have also been successful in pretty much everything I ever did for 25 years until I tried finding a job in 2014. On top of that, the vast majority of my friends (and my sister, for that matter) don't live within a radius of 500 miles. In short, I live in the wrong country, unemployed, and am bored. Why would I not want to change everything? Now I didn't think that out of all wishes I made in life this one actually would come true. Boy, did the universe hear me this time! I have hoped for a lot of things in life and never got them, but the change I got: I got a job offer in Egypt!
I've spent a lot of time in Cairo so it's not an adventure like everyone is suggesting. To be honest, I probably have more friends in Cairo at the moment than in Aachen. The biggest reason for that is that everyone exceeding the age of 24 leaves this place as soon as possible. If you don't study here there is no reason to stay. So all my friends left. I'm also aware that it's a lot noisier and dirtier in Cairo which I couldn't care less about. And most importantly, dear people, I am not risking my life because unlike popular belief there are no bombs exploding in my neighborhood (anymore, or just yet). There is, however, the overwhelming advantage of escaping the rain. Lord knows that after five years of Scottish weather a break can't hurt. Also, and that is far more important, Egypt is actually willing to employ me in exchange for currency. Germany is not!
I know I can do the job. Unlike Germany, I believe in myself! I am generally confident in the field I'm going in and considering I'm a graduate with very limited work experience I think the shock will remain at a minimum. However, this particular job is actually something I would want to do, and anything I would want to do is impossible to get for me on this continent at this time. Egypt gives me a proper job, a salary, and even benefits in exchange for doing a much better job I would get here. Germany does not understand the term "transferrable skills" so it seems like they think I can't do anything. But I have a job now, and if employers who didn't even look at my CV over here saw what I do with it over there they would cry because I will beast it. I know it.
Cairo was by no means a definite goal I pursued. I guess this is the first time in my life that something just happened: my sister passed on my CV, I was told there was interest, and decided pretty spontaneously that it wouldn't even be a bad idea. Considering I never really contemplated living in Egypt this is pretty crazy. I know, I've been a few times, but I am going to live in Egypt, the same place we saw on TV a lot in the last few years, the country that has pyramids and that caused trouble for 5000 years now. I am going to live in freaking Africa. Now nothing really shocks me anymore in life but I didn't see that one coming. But at this point there is only one thing to say about it: Why the heck not? I have freakishly little to lose. I will miss a few faces but that was bound to happen. Other than that, saying Goodbye to Germany isn't just my favorite thing to do but one of the easiest tasks of my life. I'm sure acclimatizing in Cairo will be a little tougher...
To be continued...
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