Coffee and Pretzel

Kaffee und Brezel.

I took a Coffee and a Pretzel (ger. Brezel) to write this post. Somehow this simple combination has become one of my favourite things in the morning. Pretzel is a German bakery product that comes in different shapes and ingredients. The one I usually eat is twisted into a traditional loop with some butter inside (picture). Since I'm not a fan of huge breakfasts, I personally think coffee and pretzel is just enough for the morning to get the day started.

It is the last month of my exchange period here in Göttingen and I wanted to provide some reflection of how my daily life here looks like and what the future has yet to bring forth before this one of the most thrilling Chapters of my life finally closes and prepares the way for the next exciting one to open.

At the very first I have to tell how thankful I am to God for all His blessings and protection that He has provided me here during my stay. Before my exchange, I was very unsure if this would be a good idea or not. Now, I have not a single doubt in my mind anymore. So many wonderful, almost inexplicable things have occured. I've met a big bunch of amazing people, had so many great new experiences, grown a lot as a person and simply just can't wait to bring all that I've learned in here back to my home in Finland.

Just one example of God's amazing grace and providence.

About two months ago, one hot summer day of the weekend I was just minding my own business and eating some good icecream at the Innenstadt, Gänseliesel. Soon as I had finished the frozen yoghurt in my face, I decided to head home.

But God had alternative plans.

After the very first few steps a guy called Georg touted one his tracts or brochures to me. I knew nothing yet and I usually just pass these people by saying "Danke, aber ich bin nicht intressiert" (Thanks, but I'm not interested). This time not, however. Something forced me to stop and ask "Was ist das denn?" (So what is that?). And so I stayed and chatted for a while.

It turned out to be an invite to join a Bible study group on Thursday in a household church named JesusOnly. What an incredible luck! I had just been searching for something like this but didn't know where to look for. Fortunately, God led my steps to find this wonderful group of people which would have otherwise left unknown to me unless the Almighty had His fingers in the game.

The booklets I got handed out at the central city square, Gänseliesel. One of them was even in Finnish, "Perimmäisten kysymysten äärellä".

Nowadays, I go to the Bible studies every Thursday and we also organize lunch meetings every Friday at the student Mensa. It is really good to have these small routines on a weekly basis. My friend Marcus does a good job of translating German language into English, so every time I go to the Bible study group, I am always guaranteed with personal attention.

"Fortunately, God led my steps to find this wonderful group of people which would have otherwise left unknown to me unless the Almighty had His fingers in the game."

I also ended up in a professional poker night at the CineCafé Göttingen a month ago. I've always had an interest in card games and Texas Hold'em poker has been one of my favourites since I got first introduced to it as an early teenager. I found about this event called "German Poker Days" on Facebook and decided to give it a go. I had a pretty good run at the tables with some pretty good fortunes and some pretty bad misfortunes as well. In the end, I managed to squeeze myself into the final table out of 36 players or so, and despite being the short stack for a while, I ended up winning the 1st-2nd place (there was no heads-up battle)! I was super elated and I had so much fun at the tables. I could choose a price from five options and I picked up a Fire 7 Tablet device (worth 55 €). It's really nothing that special but I like organizing my calendar with it. I also got one free ticket (20 €) for the next tournament which actually should take place tonight. Maybe I can get lucky again...

"I've always had an interest in card games and Texas Hold'em poker has been one of my favourites since I got first introduced to it as an early teenager."

One of the biggest misfortunes in the game. I had the biggest stack and I got threeway All-in with pocket Aces. A super spot! However, this guy with the J-10 off-suit ended up winning the whole pot with a straight on the final river card. What a heartbreak, but he offered me a free beer after the bad beat and we were all in good spirits, including me.

I have also practiced salsa dancing and piano playing. Yes, you heard me right: salsa dancing. Why, you ask? Because why the heck not. I'm a shy boy at heart and I want some confidence to impress the ladies. Also it has suprised me how much fun it actually can be, even though at the beginning it felt (still feels) quite awkward.

Playing piano on the other hand has been my solo project. Many people don't know this but I obtained the key to Konrad's house. There's a piano in the attic which I've been practicing with every now and then. Once I get back to Finland I would like to play a little performance.

Old Konrad and his house during the "Frühlingskurs" party at the very beginning of the exchange. He has an attic with a piano upstairs that I have been privately practicing with for maybe two months now.

Pretty scary entrance. Even though he's very kind and sympathetic by nature, you still don't wanna mess with the old Pa.

Currently, I'm studying my ass off with the German grammar. I want to succeed well in my studies, so that I can finally feel happy and relaxed when I go for my final road trip in Germany. This is something I'm really excited for. When the semester ends, I'm looking forward to take over as many cities and locations (even outside Germany!) as I possibly can. Karlsruhe, Lake Constance, Munich, Prague, Berlin... the list goes on and on. In the end, we'll see which of them are possible and which are not. But I'm working and hoping to make all these wishes come true. Better watch out!

Also some super exciting action is going to take place this weekend too. I'll give more information when the time comes a little closer to it. I already can't wait to share all the stories, because there will be stories. So please, stay tuned!

That's all for now, folks! Take care audience and God bless you!